The CoWorkers
by SmuttyShipper
Summary: Third and final Kink MEME request: Penny has been Sheldon's co-worker for 2 years, and she's secretly in love with him. They're good friends, despite their differences - Sheldon's idiosyncrasies vs. Penny's carefree lifestyle.


_Third and final Kink MEME request. Original request: Penny has been Sheldon's co-worker in an office for two years, and she's secretly in love with him. They're generally good friends, despite their differences - Sheldon's idiosyncrasies/ever-present-asperger's syndrome vs. Penny's carefree lifestyle._

_Then Sheldon finds out about her feelings._

_Sex ensues in the copy room/locked room against a door._

Penny and Sheldon had been working together for over 2 years and in that time had become really good friends. They often hung out when they weren't working, and they spent nearly every break together.

Looking back at their first inauspicious meeting, Penny found it surprising that they'd ever spoken again, let alone go on to become best friends. She been introduced to the tall man, and he'd refused to shake her hand, citing the number of germs on the average inch of epidermis. She had looked up epidermis later. They'd stood, awkwardly, staring at each other, and he'd given a disdainful sniff and sat back down at his cubicle.

Since Penny's had been next to his, he'd been co-opted to show her the ropes. He'd been very precise, giving her very detailed instruction on the use of the phone, and how to handle the various types of calls that they received. He hadn't been friendly, despite her attempts at small talk. He had informed her tersely that he had no interest in banal chit chat, and even less in her life. They were being paid to do a job.

Stung, Penny had focused on his instructions, and mentally wrote him off as a complete dick. They barely spoke, and ignored each other almost completely. Until the day that Penny got the call from the guy threatening to kill himself. As she listened to him talk, she began to poke Sheldon in the arm; he turned blazing blue eyes upon her, but then caught her panicked expression. He leaned close to hear what the guy was saying, and then immediately contacted their supervisor, and kept feeding her things to say to keep the guy on the phone until the police arrived to stop him.

A relieved Penny had hugged Sheldon, who froze at the contact. She pulled back remembering how he felt about germs, when to her surprise he smiled at her. "You did very well, Penny. I believe you saved that man's life." She felt an inexplicable thrill of pride. The most difficult man she'd ever met thought she'd done well. She smiled back at him. And things warmed between them after that. He had thought her flighty, and soon to move on. He hadn't wanted to get vested in her and for her to leave.

Now that they were becoming friends, Penny paid more attention to him. In between calls, he would read, or work on something that looked like schoolwork. She wondered if he were some kind of teacher in the "real world". She found out through very careful questioning that he was a full time student, and was paying his way through school. He didn't want to be in debt, ever.

After the first year, they counted each other as a friend, and had shared many confidences. She'd learned that he had an exceptionally high IQ but that he hadn't been able to attend college when he should have been able to. His family had needed him to stay home and work so that they could keep the house from the bank. So he passed on the scholarships that he'd been offered and helped his family.

It was sometime after her one year anniversary there, that Penny realized that she was developing romantic feelings for Sheldon. Not only was he tall, blue-eyed and handsome, but sitting next to him every day and listening to him describe acts of the naughtiest debauchery ruined her for any other man. She hadn't had a date in over 8 months.

Sheldon had two particular "voices": The Professor and The Cowboy.

The Professor's voice was cool and instantly made you feel like you'd done something naughty and should probably (hopefully) be punished for it. He used polysyllabic words, many of which Penny would have to look up later.

The Cowboy had been Penny's suggestion after hearing Sheldon's voice when he'd been upset about something. It was a lower timbre and had a definite Texas twang. It was very popular, and Sheldon got a lot more repeat callers after he started using that one.

Penny had two "special" personas as well, and they could not have been more opposite. The Cheerleader and Her Majesty. The Cheerleader had mostly been her usual bubbly self taken up a notch. Whereas Her Majesty was domineering and bossy. Sheldon teased her that it was much closer to her real personality. She'd threatened to punch him in the throat. He made an "I rest my case" gesture, at the threat. She'd made a gesture back at him. He held a scandalized expression for 30 seconds before they'd both broken down laughing.

Sheldon had made her several really specialized flowcharts for her to use on her calls, and as a result, she'd become the number one most requested operator. She had several regular callers, and they each wanted something that only she could give them.

There were people who might look down on her job as demeaning or a step up from prostitution. Her last boyfriend certainly had. Once he'd found out what she did for a living, he stopped taking her out, he only wanted to stay in and screw. And if had asked her to talk dirty to him once, he'd asked 50 times. Needless to say, she didn't date much. And she hadn't had sex in a year and a half. It didn't help that sometime in the last two years, she'd fallen hopelessly, irrevocably in love with her co-worker and best friend, Sheldon Cooper.

He was so sweetly clueless. How a man who described sexual acts for a living, could be so unaware of her longing looks and lingering touches was beyond her. He might not be the genius that he claimed to be. Still, she was nuts for him.

But he had never so much as looked at her sexually. She didn't even know what his deal was. As far she was aware, he never dated or expressed any interest in a woman, or a man, or even a sock puppet for that matter. And she didn't want to ruin what they had. She'd never had a friend like him before.

So Penny kept her fantasies to herself and enjoyed spending time with him. They played video games and watched movies. They had consumed enough take-out food to feed the entire Third World.

At his suggestion, she was reading books in between calls, instead of painting her nails or reading magazines. He would bring her a book, and once she'd finished it, they discussed it and he'd bring her a new one. She loved it. He talked to her, and he listened. Which for a woman who made her living listening to other peoples desires, was pretty sexy.

Sometimes when he had "cowboyed up" for one of the women, or men, who called for him, she would surreptitiously listen and pretend that he was talking to her with that soft Texas drawl. It wasn't the words themselves that aroused her. She was sick of words, really, as pertained to sex. It was the tone, the drawl that did it for her. And sometimes, when she watched him, she thought that he was watching her, too. But that could easily be her over-active imagination.

She had learned early on not to take anything a caller said to heart. They would call her names, sometimes. Foul, hateful ones. And she would shrug it off, and get right back on the horse. But sometimes one would hit too close to home, and she would have to step away for a minute.

It was after one such, that Penny's world changed. The caller had been vile and spewing filth, and Penny had felt like she had to get up for just a minute to clear her head.

Sheldon watched Penny walk away, clearly distressed by the caller. She was far more sensitive than he was. He'd noticed lately that she'd been watching him. Especially when he used what Penny called his cowboy voice. He'd tried pitching it differently and thought she responded more positively to a slightly lower octave than his usual tone. The words themselves didn't seem to matter to her, which he understood.

He hesitated for just a minute and since he had no calls in his queue, followed her. He might be able to help her regain her equilibrium quicker, not for the first time.

He found her in the small storage room, sniffling, her eyes wet with unshed tears. He closed the door behind him, and waited. She looked up at him, and he opened his arms for her. She gave him a watery smile and burrowed against him. "It's not like he's wrong, you know? How is this better than whoring myself out?"

He froze. "It's vastly different. Do you really need me to explain those differences, Penny?"

"No, Sheldon, I don't really want to talk at all." She nuzzled closer, delighting in his warmth and the coziness of having his arms wrapped securely around her.

"If that's what you want," he answered in his Texas voice.

She gave a wet laugh. "It'll do."

He held her and let her take comfort in his presence and affection for her.

He wasn't sure when his embrace went from friendly support, to awareness that he held a beautiful woman that he happened to be in love with in his arms. But it hit him forcefully and he started to pull away.

But Penny held him fast. She could feel his growing arousal pressing against her stomach, and squirmed against it. "Is that for me, Sheldon? Or just circumstance?"

He took a breath. Their whole friendship hinged on this moment, on whether he Sheldon Cooper was brave enough to reach out and take what he wanted. What he needed. He could tell her it was proximity, and she'd believe him and probably a moment like this would never come his way again. Not with her. His life would be like it used to be, simple and planned. "Only you, Penny." And he kissed her, there in the small storage room.

He pressed her against the door, and continued to kiss her with all that he had. And she responded in kind, giving back all that he gave her with interest. What happened next was the quietest lovemaking Penny had ever been involved in. He cupped her face, and she ran her hands up his chest and back down.

She slid her hands under his double layer of shirts, touching the warm skin of his chest. She lightly scratched her nails over his nipples and he gasped into her mouth. Then he returned the favor, sneaking his hand beneath the hem of her blouse, and under her bra. He weighed her breast in his large palm and she arched into his grasp.

He cupped her bare thigh and urged it around his leg. Then he helped her to wrap both legs around his narrow hips. Several fumbling minutes later his pants were undone and his thick erection was pressing against her. He slid in and they both moaned at the feel of the other. Penny had never felt so filled and Sheldon had never felt anything like it. Period.

Once Penny had adjusted to his invasion, they set a frantic pace thrusting against one another racing to completion. Finally, Penny tightened around him, and Sheldon released his control, grunting quietly as he thrust a few more times and came.

They held onto one another until he slid out of her, then they tidied themselves up as well as they were able. They tried to sneak out unnoticed, and if anyone saw them, no one mentioned it.

After all, they were the two most popular operators, the supervisor would be stupid to say anything to them for taking their break a little early. And they both finished their shift with a little extra sass, earning them a few more regular callers each.

When Sheldon finally got his long-delayed Doctorate, he asked Penny to marry him. She didn't answer him with words.

End


End file.
